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THE MUSEUM AT BETHEL WOODS TO RE-OPEN SATURDAY, APRIL 6 Opens With Special Exhibit On Assignment: Woodstock Photographs by Rolling Stone Photographer Baron Wolman

BETHEL, NY (March 26, 2013) – On Saturday, April 6 the Museum at Bethel Woods will re-open with a weekend jam- packed with events, including the opening of the special exhibit On Assignment: Woodstock - Photos by Rolling Stone Photographer Baron Wolman, on display from April 6 to August 18.

In 2012, Baron Wolman agreed to donate a selection of his Woodstock festival images to the museum’s permanent collection. One hundred of the best of those photographs were selected, and The Museum is proud to share them with the public in its Spring 2013 special exhibition.

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair was photographed by scores of professional photographers and photojournalists, but only Baron Wolman’s images of the festival told the story in Rolling Stone magazine immediately following the event. Wolman’s photos focus on the attendees and behind-the-scenes action, rather than the performers on the stage. “I spent more time photographing the festival ‘experience’ than I did the musicians,” Wolman writes. “I had shot most of the bands before so I thought why would I want to photograph them again? I didn’t need any more band pictures. But all those people…that was something else. I had never seen anything like this before in my life.” His iconic images helped to create the long-lasting, idealized myth of the festival.

Museum Director Wade Lawrence explains, “Baron Wolman has been a pleasure to work with and we are honored that he has decided to donate his Woodstock festival images to the Museum. We are excited for the opening of this special exhibit, and even more so for the opportunity to share his extraordinary images with the public.”

As part of Bethel Woods’ 2013 Speaker Series, join Baron Wolman for Forever Young: Baron Wolman and the Early Rolling Stone Years on Saturday, April 6 at 4 p.m. for a highly-illustrated, personalized exploration of his experiences during the late 1960s. The talk will cover everything from Haight-Ashbury during the Summer of Love, the early days of Rolling Stone magazine, and his personal reflections covering the Woodstock festival for the magazine. The talk will be followed by an audience Q&A and a signing of Wolman’s new book Baron Wolman: The Rolling Stone Years. Admission to the Speaker Event is $5.00, free for members and free with Museum admission.

Also supporting the opening of the spring 2013 special exhibit, a screening of the film Taking Woodstock will conclude opening day. Based on Elliot Tiber’s memoir Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life, and directed by filmmaker Ang Lee, the film takes a humorous look at the story behind how one of the greatest concerts came to be. After the film, stay for a discussion about the film’s accuracies and inaccuracies in telling the story of the 1969 Woodstock concert. This film is rated R by the MPAA. Admission to the films is $8.00 regular admission, $6.00 for members. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. show time.

In conjunction with On Assignment: Woodstock, The Museum will display the first seventy-five covers of Rolling Stone magazine, in the Corridor Gallery exhibit On the Cover of the Rolling Stone on display April 6 thru August 18. The covers feature the photography and artwork of Baron Wolman, Robert Altman, Annie Leibovitz, Jim Marshall, and Rick Griffin, among others, documenting the first five years of the venerable music, pop culture, and political newspaper/magazine. What better way to celebrate peace than with the deep, resonant sound of hand-crafted, large-scale bells? The Museum at Bethel Woods presents the 2013 Outdoor Sculpture exhibit, Shohola Bells: The Sound of Peace this spring along the entrance plaza—a sculptural and aural art installation by renowned potter David Greenbaum. Embodying the magic of meditative sound and a graceful, restrained aesthetic, Shohola Bells have a profound transformative presence. The installation will consist of four handmade ceramic bells—which have been fired to over 2100° F—mounted in beautiful wooden stands. The sculptures will be on display on the Bethel Woods entry plaza April 6 thru October 14.

Concluding the weekend, don’t miss the first installment of the 2013 Chamber Music Series Sundays with Friends in the intimate Event Gallery. Spearheaded by Zarin Mehta, the former president and executive director of the New York Philharmonic, and presented by curator Eileen Moon, Associate Principal Cello of the New York Philharmonic, the series will feature five eclectic recital and small ensemble performances by world-renowned classical musicians. The series opens on Sunday, April 7 at 3 p.m. with violinist Jennifer Koh, recognized for her intense, commanding performances and pianist Benjamin Hochman, who has achieved widespread acclaim for his effortless and thoughtful performances. Stay after the show for a post-concert “Meet the Musicians.”

Darlene Fedun, Chief Executive Officer at Bethel Woods adds, “We start the 5th year anniversary of The Museum at Bethel Woods with a weekend that debuts programming dedicated to our mission to inspire expression, creativity, and innovation. We hope the slate of programs not only encourages regional residents to visit us, but also encourages increased tourism to Sullivan County. This spring weekend come enjoy the captivating photos of Rolling Stone photographer Baron Wolman, the new 2013 Chamber Music Series, creative writing workshops for youth and the dramatic film Taking Woodstock.”

To purchase tickets in advance or for more information about these events or Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org or call 1.866.781.2922.

Museum Hours & Information: Saturday, April 6 through Thursday, May 24, 2013: Thursday-Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. *^ Saturday May 25 through Monday, September 2, 2013: seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.*

*Last ticket sold/last admission 90 minutes before closing. Special hours on most Pavilion Concert days. Special exhibits are included in Museum admission. ^Museum tickets will be sold up until one hour prior to show time on Event Gallery Concert days. Museum closes at show time.

NOTE: Please call ahead to verify museum hours on concert days. Access to the grounds is closed on pavilion concert days. The Monument continues to be open to visitors seven days a week, all year long via West Shore Road.

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About Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and The Museum at Bethel Woods

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit cultural organization, located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival in Bethel, NY. Located just 90 miles from New York City on a lush campus featuring bucolic countryside views, the Center is comprised of the Pavilion Stage amphitheater that accommodates 15,000, an intimate 440-seat indoor Event Gallery, and the award-winning Museum at Bethel Woods. The Center offers a diverse selection of popular artists, culturally-rich performances, and educational, community, and museum programs committed to inspiring expression, creativity and innovation through the arts. Bethel Woods is exemplary in its efforts to engage, inspire and advocate for the accessibility of the arts for all ages and to connect with community partners to broaden programmatic reach and to strengthen support and resources for its activities.

The Museum at Bethel Woods is dedicated to the study and exhibition of the social, political and cultural events of the 1960s, including the Woodstock festival, and the legacies of those times, as well as the preservation of the 1969 Woodstock festival site. More than a nostalgic celebration of a colorful decade, the award-winning Museum provides a focus for deeper issues and lessons of the decade. The Museum is a dynamic and vibrant community resource where individuals and groups of all ages participate in tours, lively lectures, cinematic conversations, changing exhibitions and special events. The Museum features include a permanent exhibit space, Special Exhibit Gallery, Corridor Exhibit Gallery, Museum Theater, Event Gallery, retail store, café, and the Woodstock Monument.

For more information please visit www.BethelWoodsCenter.org.